Sacrifice
She always held Tenzin responsible to why she was so bitter.
Things looked so bright when they were younger, she wouldn't have known everything would turn out thirty years later if she saw the future. He said she was too career centered. She said he treated her like a stranger and he didn't know how to be there for her anymore. It was their teenage years and it was a thing of the past; though every time she remembered, her insides felt heavy every time. They were childhood friends.
Deep down inside, she was always going to care for him.
Even though he married Pema.
Her work with the police force left her little time for a relationship, but she focused on the task at hand. Years past, she was awarded for her efforts and continued the legacy of her mother. Through the praise and applause for the chief of police, she tried not to appear jealous, every time she heard news of Tenzin's children being born, or any other mentions of his family's happiness.
Pema was living a life that could have been hers...
Years went by like the seasons, and time aged her.
It always felt like they were both in two different places, even though they were standing near. The boy she knew was now grown up. She knew the moment they realized they were after different things in life.
But he was her friend. Even though they weren't together anymore... it shouldn't mean they should forget the good times. No matter what happened when they were foolish youths, she was always going to have his back.
Even if it meant having her bending taken away.
She was left behind for so long, sacrificed the best years of her life... but this sacrifice was worth everything.
There will always be more Earthbenders to come... but there will always be four Airbenders in the world.